The Scientific Revolution ushered in a new era of enlightened thinking and observation-based science. These ideas were contrary to many championed by the church, and despite fierce opposition, still managed to spread across Europe in many different ways.

First, the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg allowed the proliferation of information across continents. With more and more people becoming literate, texts and pamphlets became more widely accessible.

Second, the Latin language, which was a close to a unifying language as Europe had, helped spread ideas between cultures. Ironically, it was the church’s insistence on Latin instruction, which allowed this to happen.

Thirdly, the creation of academic societies helped spread research and new ideas. The French Academe and the British Royal Society were two of the most famous. These two groups even continued their correspondence during times of war between their nations, making sure that science marched on.